J&K sees 74% turnout in phase 1

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: People in the Jammu region turned out in strength to cast their votes on Saturday, but the turnout was mixed in the Kashmir valley where the first phase of polling in the panchayat elections took place amid heavy security and under the shadow of a separatist call for a shutdown strike.

Overall voter turnout in the first phase was 74.1%. Seven districts in Jammu, six in Kashmir and two in Ladakh went to the polls on Saturday, starting a ninephase election that will conclude on December 11. These are the first panchayat elections in J&K in seven years.

No incident of violence was reported from anywhere in the state, where the separatist Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) had called for a shutdown strike in the valley and a boycott of the panchayat elections.

SRINAGAR: Buoyed by the early snowfall that has swelled the lakes and wetlands in the Kashmir Valley, nearly 3 lakh migratory birds have already arrived so far this season.

Traversing continents in flocks, some in parallel rows while others in waves, various species of birds have been arriving from Europe, Central Asia, China and Japan to spend the winter in the waters of the Himalayan valley.

Wildlife officials are expecting more winged guests to arrive this winter than the previous one owing to early snow and rains. “Last year, our water bodies were dry as there was no precipitation for around eightnine months. But this time, we have got early snowfall and hence more water in lakes and wetlands,” says Abdul Rouf Zargar, the deputy conservator of forests and wildlife warden of wetlands in Srinagar.

Zargar said that last year, despite lower water levels, some 8 lakh birds had arrived in winter till February this year.

At present, mallards, greylag geese, northern pintails, shovellers, common teals, gadwalls, common and red-crested pochards have made major water bodies of Kashmir their winter home.